Fluid separator



134g, WHITEHE FLUID SEPA Filed Decwan WWW

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, if W i e l Patented UNITED aoo THOMAS C. WI-IlITEI-IEAID, O1? DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FLUID SEPARA'IOR.

Application filed December 3, 1923. Serial No. 678,359.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. WHITE- HEAD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid Separators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to fluid separators and refers more particularly to those designed for use with refrigerating apparatus and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for extracting oil from a condensed refrigerating medium rangements of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts the numeral 1 designates a radiator having a series of coils 2 through which a gaseous refrigerating medium passes to be cooled and condensed after being compressed by a suitable pump 3 and before entering the usual expanding coils (not shown) within a brine tank 4 of a refrigerator. The coils 2 of the radiator are preferably arranged in superposed relation and are preferably spaced apart as shown so that air from the atmosphere may circulate freely therebetween. The uppermost coil 5 is preferably connected by a suitable tube 6 to a discharge conduit 7 of the pump, while the lowermost coil 8 is preferably connected to a tube 9 that leads to the upper portion of a suitable float chamber 10, preferably mounted on top of thebrine tank 4:. A short conduit 11 connects the float chamber 10 to the expanding coils (not shown) in the brine tank, while a suitable conduit 12 forms the return line and leads from the tank t back to the compressor 3. A suitable float operpump in which the oil ated valve (not shown) may be used for controlling the passage of the refrigerating medium through the conduit 11.

The compressor 3 is preferably provided with cylinders 13 in which suitable pistons let are adapted to be reciprocated by pitman rods 15 connected to a crank shaft 16. This shaft is enclosed in a suitable crank case 17 which is partly filled with lubricating oil that is adapted to be distributed to the cylinders by the splash of the cranks. However, in use, the oil will find its way about the pistons and consequentlywill be picked up by the gaseous refrigerating medium discharged from the compressor.

In order that the oil picked up may be separated from the condensed refrigerating medium before it enters the brine tank the upper end of the conduit 11 is preferably connected to a side wall of the float chamber 10 at a point located a short distance above the bottom thereof to provide a well into which the oil may settle after being discharged from the conduit 9. In order that the separated oil may be returned to the crank case of the pump, I preferably provide a suitable conduit 18 that leads from one side of the float chamber 10 at the bottom thereof to a passage 19 extending preferably centrally through an end portion of the crank shaft 16. This passage is preferably in communication with radially extending passages 20 which are formed in the cheek plate 21 of a crank of the shaft 16 so that when the shaft is revolved rapidly centrifugal action will throw outwardly any lubricant collecting in the passages 19 and 20. This will produce a suction that will be communicated to the conduit 18; consequently, the oil that is separated from the refrigerating medium in the float chamber will be returned through the conduit 18 to the crank case 17.

In use, the compressed refrigerating medium as well as the lubricating oil picked up thereby will be discharged from the compressor in the form of a vapor and after passing through the condensing coils of the radiator will be discharged into the float chamber in the form of a liquid. The oil discharged from the conduit 9 will settle to the bottom of the float chamber 10 below the upper end of the discharge conduit 11 and will pass outwardly through the conduit 18, while the condensed refrigerating medium will pass from the float chamber t it through the conduit 11. Thus, the lubricating oil that escapes from the crank case will be returned thereto after being condensed and before it reaches the brine tank, consequently, the oil picked up will not interfere with the proper action of the refrigerating medium passing through the usual expansion coils in the brine tank.

Vhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a pump for compressing a refrigerating medium, said pump having a rotor, of a housing containing said rotor, a radiator for cooling and condensing the compressed medium, a chamber in communication with said radiator, a discharge conduit it'or the condensed medium connected to said chamber at a point above the bottom thereof whereby oil that is ini tially picked up by the gaseous medium after escaping from the pump in which it is used as a lubricant Will be separated from said condensed medium, a connection between said chamber and housing aforesaid, and centrifugal means on said rotor for returning said lubricant to said housing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa ture.

THOMAS C. \VHITEHEAD. 

